Lonely Nights
by lindainsweden
Summary: What if the Captain married the Baroness before Maria arrived? Follows the movie somewhat, at least in the beginning.
1. Chapter 1

**Another TSOM story from me is forming, yay:P I really hope you enjoy it, I'm not completely sure where it's going; it will be a surprise to both you and me. Please read and review, I really appreciate if you tell me what I can improve.**

**/Linda**

**Lonely Nights**

Chapter 1

Maria, a novice at the Nonnberg Abbey in Salzburg, was sitting in the Reverend Mothers office, awaiting further information on why she had been summoned there in the first place. She twisted her hands nervously as she watched the older woman sit down behind her desk, smiling slightly at Maria's obvious discomfort but decided to approach her firmly or Maria would simply talk her out of her plans for the young girl.

"My child," the Reverend Mother began but Maria intercepted at once, making the beeline for an excuse before she could be reprimanded.

"Oh Reverend Mother, I'm so sorry. I know I shouldn't have been up in the mountains; but everything was so green and fragrant, I just had to be a part of it." The Mother Abbess raised her eyebrows, slightly alarmed that Maria had ventured so far without company.

"Suppose darkness had come and you would have been lost." Maria smiled and got a wistful look on her face.

"Oh Mother, I can never get lost up there. It's my mountain, I was brought up on it. It was the mountain that led me to you."

"Really?" Not knowing what to think about this whirlwind of a woman, the Mother Abbess let Maria tell her story.

"When I was a child I used to climb the wall to the abbey to watch the nuns work in your garden, and I'd hear them sing; which brings me to another transgression Reverend Mother. I was singing out there without permission."

"It is only inside the abbey that we have rules about postulants singing. Maria?" At the mention of her name Maria looked up into the sweet woman's eyes.

"Yes?"

"It seems to be the will of God that you leave us." Maria couldn't believe what she was hearing. How could they send her away from her only home?

"Leave you?"

"Only for a while. There is a Captain just outside Salzburg who needs a governess for his seven children until September, and I thought you would be perfect for the position."

"Seven children!" Maria said, her voice betraying the shock she felt at having to take care of that big a group.

"Yes, seven. It will be alright Maria. You like children, don't you?"

"Of course, but seven! I'll have my hands full every second."

"You will stay there for three months while the children are home from school and then we are counting on you to come back to us again." The Reverend Mother couldn't help but smile at Maria. The vivid young woman clearly didn't belong in an abbey.

"I leave today?"

"Yes, if possible. Do you have other plans for today Maria?"

"No, nothing important."

"Then you must go pack and I will send a message to Captain von Trapp to expect you in the afternoon." The finality of those words told Maria that this was nothing she could oppose to and she gloomily left the room to pack for her new, but temporary, life.

¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤

The doorbell rang at the house of the von Trapps and Franz, the Butler, hurried to open it, thinking it might be Rolfe with another telegram for the Captain. Outside stood a young woman in a plain grey dress with a bag and a guitar case in her hands.

"May I help you fräulein?" he asked, wondering what she might be doing there at this time of day and knowing that the Captain had no more meetings planned for today.

"Oh, it's really nice to meet you Captain." Maria shook Franz's hand, making him look horrified at such an act. She was very nervous but had decided not to let it show, something that was very difficult to do when the Captain didn't even seem to know she was coming.

"I'm the butler, fräulein. I will get the Captain for you, just wait here please." He departed to look for the Captain and Maria was yet again all alone. Suddenly she heard a noise from upstairs and when she turned her head to have a look she could see two small girls hiding behind the banisters, watching her every move. She smiled at them and started playing with them, hiding herself from their view. The girls giggled and Maria continued to sneak around downstairs for the children to watch her fooling around. Suddenly she heard a gasp and the pitter patter of little feet as the girls disappeared from view. Kneeling behind a chest of drawers she heard someone clearing their throat angrily right behind her and she clumsily stood up, banging her head in the process.

"Ow," she moaned before her eyes finally darted to the man in front of her. He was well built, very masculine, and his appearance was very neat; a handsome man all in all. His eyes though, held an immense amount of pain, and she almost fainted when his piercing blue ones locked with hers for a brief moment before he looked away, his thoughts wandering in directions they certainly shouldn't.

"This behaviour of yours is not to be permitted in this household during your stay here fräulein..." he snapped his fingers, indicating that he was trying to remember her name.

"Maria," she said before she could stop herself, causing the Captain to turn around to look at her sternly again.

"Excuse me?"

"Maria. My name is Maria, Captain."

"Oh." He looked slightly puzzled before he continued to tell her rules about his children marching, studying and God knows what, causing Maria to stop listen within one minute, determined to let the children actually be children instead.

¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤

Later that night Maria was alone in her room, thinking about her first day at the von Trapps. It was raining outside and the thunder could be heard in the distance. She started to think about when the children were summoned to greet her this afternoon. The Captain had actually produced a whistle. She knew that was the last straw and when he tried to use it by calling her she had to make him understand that he wasn't allowed to do that. His reaction was shock at her outspokenness; but he had listened none the less. The children were introduced to her and she felt so sorry for them up until the moment she realized they had put a toad in her pocket to scare her. The nerve!

She had been late for dinner, as usual, and had almost forgotten the awkward moment when she suddenly sat down on a pine cone. She had been so angry; but realized that scolding wouldn't get her anywhere. She managed to reprimand the children smoothly without drawing too much suspicion from their father and was therefore on rather good terms with them from now on.

The door to her room opened with a loud bang, causing Maria to start before she realized it was only Gretl standing there.

"Gretl, are you afraid of the thunderstorm?" The little girl nodded and when another roll of thunder could be heard she darted through the room to Maria, hugging her tightly.

Soon the other kids joined them and to take the fear away from them Maria started singing and playing with all of them. Liesl, who had been outside meeting her boyfriend when the rain started, had climbed up to Maria's window and tried to sneak through it without success. She was now emerging from the bathroom in one of Maria's nightgowns, immediately starting to play with her younger siblings.

Maria danced around and ran straight in to somebody, causing her to loose her balance and almost fall to the floor. Luckily the 'somebody' caught her arm and she managed to stand properly again before she looked up to see who her knight in shining armour was.

"Captain!" she exclaimed, causing the children to form a straight line at once.

"Fräulein, do you remember what we discussed earlier today?" The Captains voice was filled with disdain at this obvious lack of discipline. That, however, only caused Maria to get more determined to help the children and be there for them as a true parent should be.

"Yes; but the children were afraid of the thunderstorm and I thought that if I..."

"No buts fräulein. Children, go to bed." The children left without a word, and Maria looked sternly at the Captain, thinking he was one big piece of anger. Remembering that this was probably the only time she had to bring up the question about the children's clothes, she jumped right into the task, not caring about being reprimanded for her disrespect of rules.

"Captain?" she inquired, before he had the chance to leave her room.

"Yes fräulein?"

"Would it be possible for me to have some more material to make play clothes for the children?"

"Nonsense fräulein, their clothes will do fine. Now I will go to my wife in Vienna and when I return I hope that you have been able to discipline my children, as well as yourself." With that, he closed the door to her bedroom and left her fuming at his words and actions.

She paced her room in anger for a while before she sat down next to her window, not knowing what to do about that difficult man. Suddenly she remembered what Frau Schmidt had said about the drapes in her room. She jumped up and started to measure them and finally decided that it would be enough material to make dresses for all seven children.

The happy feeling was gone as soon as she was in her bed though, the thoughts of her unhappy childhood pestering her mind as they always had when she was in bed. She sighed and rolled over, hugging herself tightly before closing her eyes to try to get some sleep. It was going to be another one of those lonely nights.


	2. Chapter 2

**I'm sorry I haven't updated. I have been rather busy with work but I'll try to update more. Please read and review! (I also rewrote some stuff in chapter 1 but nothing that is crucial to the story.)**

**/Linda**

Chapter 2

The day was clear and warm as seven children and one governess made their way through the city of Salzburg towards their final destination, the mountain Untersberg, for a picnic. Shopping for some fruits and vegetables in the market first, they were soon on their way towards the children's first outing in many years. The play clothes that Maria had made for them had been frequently used, this day was no exception, and they were finally free to act like children again.

Skipping along the river of Salsach and taking the mountain railway to reach higher they soon found themselves on the upper parts of the mountain, where they spread their blankets and started to play. Maria summoned them for lunch after a while and when they were all full she suddenly had an idea.

"Let's learn something to sing for your mother and father when they get back from Vienna." At Maria's words the children looked extremely uncomfortable and sad, causing Maria to raise her eyebrows.

"You do not want to sing?"

"We don't know how to; and besides, father wouldn't want us to sing. Please don't call the Baroness our mother either," Brigitta answered gloomily, the other children nodding in agreement.

"Why is that? You really should sing; it's fun and I'm sure they would only enjoy it," Maria answered truthfully.

"Well, we have never liked the Baroness. She made father even more distant and it was her decision to send us away to Boarding School, breaking apart our family like never before," Liesl stated, her eyes full of sorrow. Maria took her hand and squeezed it gently, trying to silently reassure her that everything was going to be alright eventually.

"The least you can do is to be happy for your father, no matter what. Maybe some singing will melt his heart a little, letting you in?" The children nodded and decided that it couldn't get worse than it already was. They all liked Maria like a mother already and as long as she was with them everything was going to be alright. Soon, they all found out that singing was very pleasing and good for lifting your spirits, especially when being led by an enthusiastic governess who took them all over town in the process. Never had the children of von Trapp felt as lucky as they did the day they let Maria into their lives.

¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤

Georg couldn't stop thinking about the governess he had left to tend for his children. She was so different from all the others. Sure, enough of them had been pretty, but there was something else, something he couldn't pinpoint even when debating it with himself, that made his mind wander to her constantly. Soon enough they would be home and he could take a good look at her to reason with himself and finally realise that she really wasn't something for him, being at least 10 years her senior none the less. The car bumped as they turned on to the last part of the small road to take them to the villa.

¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤

Maria and the children had decided that this particular day was perfect for rowing and they quickly assembled in the small boat before rowing off to the small island in the middle of the lake to have a picnic there instead of eating lunch on the terrace. The sky was clear and the weather hot, making the children long for a swim. As soon as Maria found out that only Liesl, Friedrich and Louisa could swim she made it her personal task to teach the rest. They all changed to swimsuits and jumped into the cool water, Maria first of them all to the children's delight. When she had made sure that everyone knew the theory of swimming, Maria taught each child individually how to actually use their knowledge. Marta and Gretl were, naturally, having some problems but could almost swim a couple of metres when Maria, or Kurt's stomach depending on viewpoint, called for lunch.

¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤

Finally at home, the Captain stepped out of the car and immediately took off towards the house, not even stopping to help Elsa like he usually did. The Baroness wrinkled her nose, slightly put off by his actions but decided to leave him alone for the time being.

Having searched through the entire house without being able to find his children, the Captain was now getting annoyed and went out onto the terrace looking for solitude. The Baroness sneaked up behind him and startled him slightly by touching his arm. The Captain realized he was being foolish, immediately trying to remedy it with a hug and a peck on the Baroness's cheek.

Suddenly the heavenly sound of children laughing happily disturbed their moment, but the Captain didn't mind. After all, his children were more important than Elsa, right? His thoughts made him stop in the middle of a step, realizing that this was no ordinary thought of his. Apparently the governess had failed in following his strict orders but he felt no need to reprimand her at all, despite the fact that that was utterly out of character for him. He walked down to the lake to greet his children and saw them attempting to row the boat and singing at the same time, their governess in the front directing them and singing loudest of them all.

¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤

Maria was happily looking at the children while singing loud and clear, not noticing their little audience at all.

"Look! It's father!" Gretl suddenly exclaimed, making everyone in the boat turn around and stand up.

"Oh Captain, you're home! Aaah!" Maria screamed before the boat tipped over, making all the children, and the governess, soaking wet when they landed with a splash in the water. The Captain couldn't help himself; he chuckled heartily at the scene before him, earning a displeased glance from Elsa that he chose to ignore.

Maria and the children emerged from the water, the latter quickly forming a straight line in front of the Captain, their faces stern again in contrast to the looks of happiness shown only a minute ago. Sighing, the Captain waited for Maria to get out of the water completely, letting his eyes trail over her figure a little longer than necessary, before he took a breath and got ready to apologize to them all for being so harsh. Then he felt Elsa's hand in his, making his heart cold again for reasons he did not know.


	3. Chapter 3

**I have a bad conscience for not updating and therefore I give you another chapter. ) Please r&r.**

**Enjoy!**

**/Linda**

Chapter 3

Standing before the Captain, soaked to the skin, after he had dismissed his children harshly, would make any young woman nervous. Maria wrung her hands and couldn't look the Captain completely in the eyes as he walked to stand right in front of her.

"I think I'll go see what Max is up to," Elsa graciously told them before leaving for the cool insides of the villa. The Captain didn't even look at her as she walked away; his eyes were fixed upon Maria. A thousand thoughts went through his head and he strongly disliked the ones about firing this amazing woman. Deciding to not let his stern façade fall he realised he only had one option.

"Is it just my imagination, or have my children been climbing trees today?" Maria looked at him and realised that he probably wasn't as upset about this ordeal as she thought. What was she doing being a coward at a time like this? The children needed her; but they needed their father more. It was her responsibility to make him see that as well. She defiantly looked into the Captains blue eyes, challenging him to show emotions.

"Yes Captain," she simply answered, making the Captains eyes sparkle with irritation.

"And what do you call these…" He held up Louisa's handkerchief that he had brutally taken from her head before she was sent inside with the other children.

"Play clothes. I made them from the drapes that used to hang in my bedroom. The children have been everywhere in them." The Captain was fuming now and Maria wondered if she was taking it a little too far but stood her ground none the less.

"Do you mean to tell me that my children have been roaming about Salzburg, dressed up in old drapes?" He was so angry he threw the handkerchief down onto the ground and started pacing.

"Mhm, and having a marvellous time."

"They have uniforms!"

"Straight jackets if you'll forgive me."

"I will not forgive you for that one fräulein."

"Children cannot do all the things they're supposed to if they have to worry about spoiling their precious clothes." Maria was now as mad as the Captain and unconsciously raised her voice until they were practically screaming at each other.

"I haven't heard them complaining about it."

"They wouldn't dare, they love you too much."

"I don't want to hear another word about this fräulein."

"I know you don't but you've got to!" That silenced the Captain enough to let Maria tell him about his children and that he didn't know them at all.

"That's enough fräulein!"

"I am not finished yet!"

"Oh yes you are Captain! Fräulein…" He couldn't believe he had shown such weakness as to actually call her Captain. Maria realized this as well, he could see it in her eyes as she smirked at him, and now he only had one choice.

"You will pack your bags immediately and return to the abbey. I can take care of my own family." Just as he had finished speaking he heard the unmistakable sound of children singing.

"What's that sound?" He asked a defeated Maria.

"It's singing." He looked at her and felt a pang of guilt in his heart at her sad demeanour.

"I realise that, but who is singing?"

"The children. I taught them something to sing for you and the Baroness when you returned." The face of the Captain turned wistful at the mention of his children singing and he mumbled something to himself before he walked inside, towards the children Maria assumed. She hoped he would do the right thing now and recognise them all as his family, not as a nuisance in his upper class life with the Baroness.

Feeling like having a big rock on her shoulders, Maria sat down a little to think about what to tell Reverend Mother when she returned. She hadn't even lasted for a full month! Was there nothing she was capable of doing? Feeling the goose bumps on her arms and a slight shiver running up her spine she decided that it was time for her to change into different, not to mention dry, clothes and pack her things before saying good bye to the children and leaving the lovely house forever.

Walking inside she could hear someone other than the children singing and, when she reached the room she heard the voice from, she realised it was the Captain. Had the ice around his heart finally melted? The children smiled and Maria guessed that the Captain did as well before they all hugged each other like one big happy family. Tears threatened to spill from Maria's eyes as she witnessed the happy moment between father and children. Gretl saw her and Maria motioned for her to give the Baroness the Edelweiss they had picked up on the mountain a couple of days ago. Even Elsa couldn't despise this display of affection and she gladly, although clumsily, picked the little five year old up to sit on her knee.

The children were now looking at Maria and she smiled at them, happy that they were going to be a family again but sad that she would not be a part of it. She had no reason to think like that but the children truly felt as if they were her own and the Captain… Well, let's just say she'd never met a man quite like him before. Curious as to what his children were looking at the Captain turned his head, only to find his cheeks blush at the look the governess gave him. She was still wet and he could see her lips were a little bit blue. Deciding quickly what he was about to do he excused himself from the group and went out to the retreating fräulein, carefully closing the door behind him. She hadn't made it up the stairs yet and he swiftly reached her and stopped her by putting his hand on her arm gently. She turned slowly towards him and yet his hand never left her arm.

"I'm sorry fräulein." Maria nearly started crying when she looked into his deep blue eyes that were now much clearer and free of anger.

"Oh no, I'm far too out spoken, it's one of my worst faults."

"It was exactly what I needed to hear. You are right, I don't know my children."

"There's still time. They love you so much." The Captain looked away from her, not able to look directly at her when she spoke like that. He didn't know why but the pace of his heart quickened when she spoke to him about love and about his family. He looked into her eyes again, eyes that were looking curiously at him. She had no grudge against him despite the fact that he had fired her not ten minutes ago.

Maria couldn't tear her eyes away from him, he attracted her in a way no one had before. Realizing this she felt her cheeks redden.

"Maria…" he whispered, making her knees nearly buckle.

"I want you to stay. No, I ask you to stay."

"If I can be of any help."

"You have already; more than you know." At the idea of getting to stay with them all Maria felt happiness like never before.

"Oh Captain! I could just kiss you!" Not thinking, she threw her arms around him and pecked him on the cheek before bouncing like a ten year old girl up the stairs making the Captain chuckle at her before he returned to his children.

Maria felt so light. The rock on her shoulders had vanished without a trace and she was truly happy to stay at the villa with the children. Maybe the nights wouldn't be so lonely from now on.


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N Sorry for the late update. I'm a little sad that NO ONE reviewed my other chapters. Are they really that bad? Well, I'm determined to write this story whether you like it or not! I do hope you'll enjoy it though.**

**Linda**

Chapter 4

The Lonely Goatherd was an instant success and the children couldn't have had more fun. Maria on the other hand was exhausted after teaching the children how to make the puppets move and how to sing the song. The Captain, Elsa and Max were applauding them now though, telling them all how good they had been. The Baroness and Max walked with the children to the parlour, leaving the Captain and Maria alone.

"Well done Fräulein. I really am very much impressed." The Captain smiled at Maria and she couldn't help but blush.

"They're your children Captain." He stepped towards her until he stood only a few feet away.

"Don't be shy; I'm sure you helped them a lot. You are a really good singer Fräulein, and, I must admit, a splendid governess." Maria looked away from him, clearly uncomfortable because of the amount of compliments from the Captain. Her cheeks were warm and she fought the urge to cool them with her palms.

"Thank you for showing me how to be... Well, me. I got lost in my grief but you helped me find myself and my children again. I owe you everything Maria." He lifted his hand and Maria mirrored his movement in the belief that he was going to shake her hand. He did something far more exciting and embarrassing; he lifted her naked hand to his mouth and kissed it. Maria's knees nearly buckled and her heart started beating faster. His lips lingered on her hand a little longer than they should considering that they were only acquaintances but Maria didn't mind at all and neither did the Captain by the looks of it. He tried looking into her eyes when he lifted his head but he found them closed.

When Maria felt the Captain's lips leave her hand she sighed inwardly and slowly opened her eyes, only to be greeted with him staring at her, a thoughtful expression on his face. Feeling the need to get away from him she took a few steps back.

"I... I need to see what the children are doing," Maria said and tried to escape from the room but the Captain stopped her, his hand on her arm.

"Maria?"

"Yes?" Her voice was barely above a whisper and she berated herself for not sounding stronger. How could a man of all things do this to her?

"You're not afraid of me, are you?" Maria managed to shake her head, a small smile creasing her lips. The Captain looked down at them, only for a second, and suddenly an image of himself kissing those lips plopped into his mind. Startled by his thoughts he let Maria's arm go, realizing how forward his actions must have seemed to her, the future nun. He cleared his throat, suddenly uncomfortable with the situation he foolishly had put them in.

"I'm sorry. Maybe we should join the others." Maria only nodded at his statement and silently followed him into the other room. What the children needed was a cheerful governess, not the strangely disappointed one who now appeared in the doorway, and Maria quickly added a smile to her lips, ready to continue to take care of the lot.

Liesl saw the discomfort that Fräulein Maria felt but didn't want to ask about it in front of her siblings and therefore decided to leave it be, for now at least.

Maria, who had taught the children how to play the guitar, decided they should continue their little performance by

letting one of them show their skills with the instrument.

"Children! Who should we hear from next?" The children got excited and started to discuss who should play. Liesl whispered something to them and they agreed. Maria felt her cheeks redden a bit when she heard the name they suggested but braced herself before taking the guitar to the next victim.

"The vote is unanimous; you Baroness." Elsa looked puzzled at the Captain, who could barely keep from laughing, and then back to the wonderful governess.

"Oh, I'm not especially good at playing and I definitely can't sing." Maria still held the guitar to the Baroness, not wanting to turn down the children.

"I can sing when you play Baroness, as long as I know the song of course. Please." Elsa slowly took the guitar and sat down, ready to play.

"Do you know Edelweiss Fräulein?" Maria grinned and nodded at the suggestion.

"I love it; it's one of my favourites." Elsa started playing, a little careful at first but it turned out she was rather good.

Maria accompanied her with her singing but could feel her thoughts wandering and her eyes found the ones of the Captain. His gaze was fixed on her and she blushed slightly. The children applauded when the song was finished and Maria instantly focused on them instead, silently berating herself for being so foolish as to be entranced by her employer.

Elsa was delirious. Her playing had been well received and thanks to the governess she actually felt like the children liked her a little. Luckily she had missed the looks between the governess and the captain, making it kind of a secret between the two.

-------------------------------------------------------------

Maria had just put all the children to bed and was on her way to her own room when she heard the Baroness from below.

"Fräulein? Would you like to join us in the parlour for a night cap?" Maria was surprised but felt like she couldn't decline such a sweet gesture from the Baroness.

"I don't drink actually but it would be very nice to join you for a while. Let me just freshen up a little and I'll be right down." She dashed to her room and was soon on her way down to join the others.

"Ah, Fräulein Maria! I'm so glad you could join us," Max said and lifted his glass of whiskey to her.

"Yes, it was very nice of the Baroness to invite me. I just hope you don't feel like I'm intruding on your privacy," Maria said, suddenly a little uncomfortable with the attention.

"Nonsense Fräulein, you could never be intruding," Georg mumbled, his eyes focusing on Maria. This did not go unnoticed by either Elsa nor Max and they looked at each other quizzically until Georg broke the silence again.

"Would you like something to drink Fräulein?"

"No thank you, I don't drink." Max almost sprayed his drink all over the table when he heard her reply.

"How can you not drink? The taste is fantastic!"

"Well, I've never tried but I have had... relatives, who weren't very nice when they were drinking and I decided that I would never ever drink." Maria's statement made the others feel guilty because of their drinking habits. She resolutely stood her ground though and the Captain decided to get her a glass of water as well as one for himself. This action made Elsa raise her eyebrows, Georg was not known for saying no to a drink, but she let it pass since it was never a good idea to encourage someone to drink.

----------------------------------------

Later that night both the Baroness and Max decided to leave for bed. Maria shuddered. It was somewhat chilly in the room and sitting in a thin dress was finally getting to her. This did not go unnoticed by the Captain and he moved closer to her, worry clearly visible in his eyes.

"Are you cold Fräulein?" He took her hand in his to feel her temperature and gasped when he felt like a bolt of electricity shot through his body. He ignored that feeling and stored it deep within his heart, not planning on ever looking back to it. Elsa was supposed to be the one who made him feel like that but never had he experienced feelings as strong as when he was with Maria.

"You're freezing!" He removed his jacket and wrapped it around her shoulders, trying to act as casual as possible.

"Better?" Maria stared at him for a while before getting out of her reverie and managed to nod slowly. His scent was filling her nostrils and she could not focus on anything but him.

"Let's go to my study, I believe there's a fire going there." Remembering that the Captain never invited people to his study she felt really privileged, but also a little worried. What made him want to share that with her? Her stomach felt like it was filled with butterflies but she followed him none the less, her trust in him not wavering one minute.

They entered the study and indeed there was a fire going, making Maria warm instantly. She kept the jacket on despite the heat from the fire, enjoying the smell of it and the feeling of it on her shoulders. The Captain didn't seem to mind at all, on the contrary; his eyes were watching her constantly and she was slightly uneasy by that and not at all used to the attention she seemed to be getting a lot of lately.

"Are you warm enough?" the Captain asked Maria and she nodded in response with a smile on her lips.

"Yes. Thank you Captain, this was very nice of you."

"I don't want you to catch a cold because of me. That would mean Elsa had to take care of the children and God knows that's not one of her top priorities." He shuddered as he thought of Elsa's lack of love for the children. It was her who had insisted on sending them to boarding school in the first place, something neither he nor the children thought pleasantly about.

"Doesn't she like children? They are all so adorable I can't understand how anyone can not like them." Maria gasped when she realized what she had blurted out and looked into the Captains eyes, afraid that he would be angry with her. What she saw made her blush; happiness and trust shone through them and it was clearly directed at her. Maria looked down at her shoes, still not comfortable with what she had said.

"I'm sorry. It's not my place to say things like that."

"Nonsense Fräulein. You take care of the children now and I'm pleased to hear that you only want the best for them. I feel like I have disappointed them a lot since Agathe died..." The Captain was suddenly overcome with sorrow as he thought of his late wife and he fought to keep the tears he felt coming to himself. He turned from Maria in the hopes of hiding his sadness from her to no avail.

"Captain, are you alright?" Maria went to him and could hear him silently sob. Her heart went out to him and without thinking about what she was doing she turned him around to face her and hugged him tightly. This made the Captains heart break and he cried more than ever before, feeling like this was the first person he trusted enough to finally be able to mourn his wife properly and truly get on with his life. Maria started crying herself, the emotions swirling inside being too much for her to handle. Eventually they sobered enough to solemnly leave for bed.

Maria could barely breathe when she finally lay down in her room. She had actually been comforting the Captain! It felt so good to know that she was there for him and that he trusted her enough to show his true feelings. On the other hand it felt bad to be that close to him when her loyalty should be to God.

In his room in the other side of the house, the Captain was pacing back and forth. His head was swirling with thoughts but he eventually realized Elsa would think he was mad if he didn't go to bed now. He lay down next to her but despite her warm body in bed with him he felt utterly alone. This was going to be one lonely night.


End file.
